Jay-Z Doesn’t Get Occupy Wall Street; Even Though He Made Money Off Of It

Rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z said in a recent interview that he does not support Occupy Wall Street. He says its because he never quite understood what it stood for.

Proving Harry Belafonte right, Hov shows himself to be politically tone deaf in his assessment of Occupy Wall Street. The partial Brooklyn Nets owner even went further, implying that OWS is Un-American. Wait, isn’t that the same thing that Herman Cain said?

He may not understand what the movement is about, but that did not stop him from making money off of it. For those of you that don’t remember, late last year Jay-Z pushed a shirt from his company that said “Occupy All Streets” That venture caught flack, due to the backlash from Occupiers who rightly saw it as profiteering off of their movement. The shirts were pulled for a brief moment. And now, months later comes this statement. With OWS approaching its first year anniversary, it has had an impact on mass awareness of socio-economic issues and class. In addition to masterminding an ongoing movement that managed to a certain degree not to be co-opted, it brought forth practical exercises like Bank Transfer Day. It’s impact is sure to be felt once again, despite the folks who don’t “get” the movement. The various issues that OWS call attention to have not gone away, and they should continue to point them out no matter who feeling it.

So much for the idea of entrepreneurial activism coming from Mr. Carter.